Yediot Ahronot to close English Web site

The Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahronot will shut down its English language Web site Y-net, the site’s editor in chief confirmed.

“Management informed the staff on Thursday that it would be shutting down,” Jeff Bark told JTA.

The site, which drew up to 50,000 readers a day according to one estimate, has been running since 2005 and consisted of articles translated from the Hebrew daily and items culled from other news agencies.

But management wanted to concentrate on the Hebrew product, Bark said.

The 12 Y-net staff members, who are all located in Israel, will not be reassigned within Yediot.